Marietta College's Alex Richter connects for a double off the top of the right-center field wall during the first inning of Friday's twinbill versus Ohio Northern. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

MARIETTA — Heading into Easter weekend the Marietta College baseball team of skipper Brian Brewer was looking for some momentum and they got just that following an improbable Ohio Athletic Conference sweep of Ohio Northern here Friday at Don and Sue Schaly Field at Pioneer Park.

After winning the opener 7-4 thanks to a five-run seventh, everything looked in order for an easy twinbill sweep as the Polar Bears (9-12, 0-4) trailed 6-2 entering the top of the ninth.

A solo shot from two-hole hitter Chase Armstrong got the inning going, but the visitors batted around and when the first baseman came back up again he launched a grand slam as the Pioneers (10-11, 2-2) were down to their final at-bat facing a five-run deficit.

MC leadoff hitter Nick Bonnizzio, who went 5 for 9 with five runs scored on the day, opened the ninth by taking one for the team.

Alex Richter, who was 2 for 3 with two doubles and one RBI in the opener, followed with a two-run no-doubt tater to right to make it 11-8 as he finished game two 2 for 3 with the pair of runs-batted-in. Austin Amburgey, who had two hits in the opener, doubled and the bases were juiced after consecutive base knocks from Trent Valentine and Ben Kaplin. Designated hitter Diego DeCello, who also had two hits in game one, made it 11-9 after coaxing a free pass for an RBI.

Marietta College third baseman Cooper Fiehrer makes a routine play during game two of Friday's twinbill versus Ohio Northern. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Facing a 2-2 count, pinch-hitter Cael Magill got plunked as MC closed the gap to just one run.

With the bases still loaded, third baseman Cooper Fiehrer stepped to the dish and delivered a walk-off two-run double into the left-center gap that plated courtesy runner Shane Rothlisberger and DeCello.

“We knew that we could do it. We’ve done it before and we just take it one pitch at a time,” admitted Fiehrer, who went 3 for 4 with two RBIs in game one.

“I saw the infield in and I just knew if I hit it hard and low good things were going to happen. I ended up hitting one a little bit over their head, but I just had to put it in play and that’s what I did.”

Bonnizzio, who led off the first, third and fifth frames of game two with singles, never lost faith in his team.

Marietta College baseball coach Brian Brewer gestures during a college baseball game against Ohio Northern Friday at Pioneer Park. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

“We just watched them go put up nine in the top of the ninth, so we were just talking to ourselves that if they did it we can,”admitted Bonnizzio. “We’re a much better team and we all believed that we are a much better team than them.”

Game two starting pitcher Kail Hill worked 4 2-3 innings with three punchouts before exiting with an injury.

Gabe Torres, who saved game one for winning relief pitcher Forrest Havanis (2-2), tried to put out the fire in the ninth of game two, but was unable. Sam Johnson got the final two outs to earn his first decision for the Pioneers, who are scheduled to play host at 1 p.m. next Saturday to Baldwin Wallace.

“We’re trying to pick up a game right now. I just haven’t had any takers yet,” said Brewer, whose team got a solo bomb in game two from Jeremy Tonelli as well as a fully-extended diving catch in left-center by Valentine with runners on first and second to end the seventh as he robbed pinch-hitter Landon Sawyer. “I don’t know about the quality of play, but we’ll take the wins for sure. Our guys did a good job, obviously, in the last inning.

“I thought as a whole on the day we were a little more aggressive offensively, which is good to see. The thing that’s been our constant really this year is the pitching and it wasn’t great today. (The error on a tailor-made) double play ball in the ninth changes everything. A couple could’ve been critical mistakes that we kind of bailed ourselves out and they helped us a little bit with some freebies.”

Marietta College’s Kail Hill delivers a pitch during a college baseball game against Ohio Northern Friday at Pioneer Park. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

As far as the conversation following the top of the ninth?

“There wasn’t a lot of talking,” admitted Brewer, who watched Valentine pitch the first five frames of the opener and shortstop Cole Yeager climb the ladder to rob Robbie Reed of a hit in game two. “It’s take a strike and play catch-up and see if we could try to get something going and we did.

“Then the guys that have the right to swing obviously made the most of their opportunities. Good to see. Good win and hopefully we can continue with some momentum and continue to play a little better baseball. Two Ws, Easter weekend, we’ll take it.”

Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com.